About Ara Institute of Canterbury (formerly CPIT)

Ara Institute of Canterbury is Canterbury’s largest vocational educational provider. Ara was created in 2016 when CPIT and Aoraki Polytechnic merged, bringing together two well-established organisations, each with around 100 years of experience and success. Ara Institute of Canterbury is a vibrant, progressive, government-funded tertiary institute providing world-class, tertiary-level education throughout the Canterbury and Waitaki region.

Their talented staff, innovative business collaborators and supportive community partners are passionate about the role they play in our students' success. Together, they committed to equipping every student with the industry-relevant knowledge, skills and experience they need to get the job they want and to excel in it.

Ara Institute of Canterbury creates learning models and their course content continually evolves to respond to industry and regional needs. To ensure their students have real-world experience, we offer an ever-expanding array of workplace training opportunities, internships, apprenticeships and partnerships with industry and to meet demand for flexible study options, we offer an increasing range of online, blended delivery and part time programmes.

Campus information

The campus is a true tertiary campus spreading over two blocks and includes all of the facilities you would expect of a high quality tertiary institution, plus some more.

City campus
130 Madras Street, Christchurch

Woolston campus
Ensors Road, Christchurch

Timaru campus
32 Arthur Street

Washdyke campus Timaru
102 Racecourse Road, Timaru

Ashburton campus
37 Alford Forest Road, Ashburton

Oamaru campus
44 Humber Street, Oamaru

Accommodation

Christchurch is a large New Zealand city and offers many accommodation options. Students may decide to go flatting, private board or live in homestay accommodation with a Christchurch family.

Ōtautahi House offers apartment style accommodation with other students in a flat share right across the road from Christchurch - Madras Street campus.

You are encouraged to stay with a homestay family when you first arrive in New Zealand to study. A homestay provides a warm, family environment where you'll have your own room, share meals with the family and have the opportunity to practice your English every day. All of our homestays are carefully selected and supervised.

Homestay services include:

full inspection of all homes and interviews with host families

airport pick-up

police vetting of all host families

a 'welcome pack' upon arrival

banking assistance on your first day at Ara

translators to assist communication

follow-up meetings with you and your homestay family to ensure everyone is happy and comfortable

We can arrange for you to stay with a homestay in any of our study locations. Alternatively, you can stay in hostels, flats or other accommodation options.